A case against a man accused of raping a woman after the Notting Hill Carnival has collapsed after investigators found key evidence.

Proceedings against Samson Makele were halted at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday (January 15) after his defence team unearthed key images from his mobile phone which had not previously been made available, law firm Hodge Jones and Allen said.

The 28-year-old was accused of raping a woman he met after the Carnival in 2016 but the case, due to go to trial at the end of the month, was thrown out after more than a dozen pictures emerged of the pair apparently cuddling in bed.

It is the third rape case in just over a month to collapse following a failure from investigators to find key evidence.